Butter-cutting machine



R A. SIMPSON.

BUTTER CUTTlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 29. 1918.

EL 523, g 1 Q. I Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

fizlfa A Jim via)? /N VE N 70/? f gzz'w aw ring 18 and-is held thereon by means of nuts 23 which have extension flanges that engage the outer surface of the ring. The disk is provided with a hub 25 which is keyed, pinned or otherwise attached to shaft 12.

Engaging the toothed gears is a pinion 30 which is axially movable on shaft 12 and is provided with the forwardly extending hub 31. Extending from the opposite sides of this hub are arn'is which form a double ended crank 32 on the outer ends of which are mounted suitable operating handles 33. The hub 31 is provided with the T- shaped slot 8% which is adapted to engage a pin 35 in the outer end of shaft 12. This pinis so positioned that when the hub is moved until the bottom of the slot engages the pin, then the pinion 80 has moved such a distance that its teeth are disengaged from the teeth of gears 22. V

In operation a cube of butter 45 is placed on the receiving table 16 the rear portion being held by the stationary blocks 17. The butter-head is; then moved forward by means of the planetary gearing just de scribed, the rotation of the handles 33 causing the pinion 30 to rotate the gears 22, and thus the disk 20 which is keyed to shaft 12 The rotation of shaft 12 through gears 13 acting on the rack bars, moves the cutterhead forward and forces the cross wires through the butter cube. When the end of the cut portion contacts with the vertical surfaces of the receiving table 8 the vertical cutting wire 7 is operated -y means of the lever arms 48. The cut butter is then re moved and a new receiving frame substituted and the head again advanced until the entire mass of butter'is cut into squares of a predetermined size.

It will be apparent that considerable effort is required to force thecross wires through the mass of hard butter and that for ease of operation a comparatively low gear ratio must be employed between the operating crank and the drive shaft 12. This reduction is accomplished by the planetary system above described. 'On the other hand, when moving the cutting-head away from the stationary end blocks d7, little effort is required and in order to effect a quick return I provide a direct drive between the cranks and the drive shaft. This drive is throw into operation by shifting pinion 30 on shaft 12 whereby it is disengaged from the gears 22 and the slot 34 is engaged on pin 35.- Thus when the cranks are turned the shaft is turned at the same speed, giving a much quicker movement to the cutting-head.

..Having thus described my invention, I claim ,as newand wish to cover by Letters Patent I V 1. A butter cutter comprising in combination with a frame and a cutter-head slidably mounted thereon, toothed rack bars at tachcd to said frame, a drive shaft movable with said cutter-head, toothed pinions attached to said shaft and engaging said rack bars, a planetary gear system for driving said shaft at low speed, an operating crank, and means whereby said crank may be operatively engaged either with said planetary system or said shaft.

2. A. butter cutter comprising in combination with a frame and a cutter-head slidably mounted thereon, toothed rack bars at tached to said frame, a drive shaft movable with said cutter-head, toothed pinions attached to said shaft and engaging said rack bars, a planetary gear system comprising a non-rotatably mounted, internally toothed gear, a disk attached to said shaft, a concentric toothed pinion revolubly mounted on said shaft, intermediate gears revolubly mounted on said disk and adapted to en gage said pinion and said internalgear, a driving crank slidably mounted on said shaft, and means whereby said crank may be operatively engaged with either said shaft or said planetary system. a

3. A butter cutter comprising in combination with a movable cutter-hcad a drive shaft for said head, planetary gear system comprising a noirrotatably mounted, internally toothed concentric with said shaft, a disk attached to said shaft, toothed gears revolubly mounted on said disk and meshing with said internal gear, an operating crank slidably mounted on said shaft, and having an inner and outer operative position, a toothed pinion carried by said crank adapted to mesh withsaid gears when said crank isin its inner positionJand clutch means for engaging said crank with said shaft when said crank is in itsouter positlo-n.

at. A butter cutter comprising in combina tion with a movable cutter-head, a drive shaft therefor. a planetary gear system co1uprising a non-rotatable annulus having an internally toothed gear, a disk attached to said shaft, intermediate gears revolnbly mounted on said disk and meshing with said internal gear a driving pinion adapted to mesh with said intermediate gears, clutch means carried by said shaft, and driving crank slid-ably mounted on said shaft so that it may engage either said planetary system or said clutch means. r

5. In a driving mechanism for butter cut ters comprising a revoluble driving shaft, an internal non-rotatable toothed gear, a disk revoluble with said shaft, intermediate toothed gears revolubly D'IOUIliZGClOH said disk, an operating member and means-carried by said member operatively connecting it to said shaft at times and othermeans for operatively connecting it to aid intermediate gears at other times. 7

6. In a driving mechanism for butter cut ters comprising a revolubly mounted driving shaft, a planetary gear system carried thereby, a driving member, and means whereby said driving member may be operatively connected to said driving shaft at times and to said planetary gear system at other times.

7. A driving machine for butter cutters comprising a movable cutter-head, a re volubly mounted drive shaft therefor, a planetary gear system for said shaft a driving member, and means whereby said driving member may be selectively connected to either said planetary gear system or to said shaft.

8. A driving mechanism for butter cutters comprising a revolnbly mounted driving shaft, a toothed pinion attached thereto, a toothed rack for engagement Withsaid pinion, a planetary gear system carried by said shaft, a driving member and means whereby said driving member may be operative-1y connected to either said planetary system or to said shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RUFUS A. SIMPSON. 

